Eclipsing the Stars
by Little Girl Geek
Summary: The cards are sealed, our heroes have remained together, but a new presence is shaking Eriol's calm. What could this new magic be that is worrying even the great mage Clow himself? A twist on the series' end that leads to a whole new story. T for future.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello! Thank you for taking interest in my VERY FIRST FANFIC to be uploaded on fanfiction. 3

As you can imagine, I am very very very nervous. This is a big, weird step for me. Comments and critiques would be SUPER appreciated.

This is actually a story I started a while back, so the first chapter is a bit outdated in my mind. Haha, I hope you like it though... ^^ thanks for reading!

________________________________________________________~Little Girl Geek______________________________________________________________________

Nothing happened in the city anymore. Ever since Sakura had changed all the cards, life seemed almost... normal. There was never anyone to save, no one to help, nothing exciting. She knew she should have been happy, but she just wasn't.

It was obvious that Tomoyo missed the action. She had even stopped sewing for lack of occasion. It worried the little Kinimoto how gloomy she seemed. Everyday she would walk home with her, but she wouldn't be all there. Her gaze seemed stuck on the sky, her state of mind one of blankness. Sometimes Sakura had to pull her off crowded streets. Other times she would just stop and stand there, as if thinking about something of grave seriousness. Sakura was afraid she would get hurt if she kept falling into this oblivion.

Things were looking up, despite the new-found boredom. Seventh grade was closing in as they hit the winter of their sixth grade year. The two walked into school together and headed for their seats. Sakura set down her backpack and turned around in her seat cheerfully. "Good morning, Syaoran!"

Yes, Syaoran had decided to stay. When we say decided, we use it as a loose term. He wished to stay the whole time, having not been able to tell Sakura his feelings. As he was packing to head home after the last Card had been sealed, he received a phone call from Hong Kong. His mother proposed the idea that he should stay, to protect the new Card master. Also, she wanted him to stay near the girl he loved, but that side went unvoiced. At the cute girl's greeting, his ears pinked and he looked away. "Y-yeah."

Tomoyo giggled, but covered it with a cough when Syaoran tossed a glare in her direction.

The door slid open again, and a very flustered blue haired boy entered. He shuffled his glasses and approached the group, taking his seat behind Tomoyo and smiling politely at them all. "Good morning, Sakura-san. Daidoji-san. Li-kun."

Tomoyo smiled and greeted him in return. Eriol had chosen to return, though he wasn't sure why. Well, that's what he had told Syaoran and Sakura. Really, it was Tomoyo who had convinced him to return to Japan. The two had become good friends and remained in touch when he went home. Finally, she addressed that he spent too much time alone; she never heard about friends or family, or even the world outside of his manor. She asked him to return, not only for himself, but for his friends in Japan. And he gratefully obliged, though that was their own little secret.

Sakura smiled and greeted cheerfully, "Good morning, Eriol-kun!"

With a sideways smirk at Syaoran and a giggle from Tomoyo, Eriol swept up Sakura's hand and kissed it, bending over in a princely manner. "I have been counting the hours since our last meeting." He purred smoothly.

The new master of the cards turned cherry red and squealed, trying to fidget away but too confused to succeed. Syaoran turned an equal shade and jumped to his feet. "Hiragizawa!!"

Eriol smirked at him and pulled Sakura closer; she was in too much shock to fight him. Yet before he could carry on the charade and aggravate his distant nephew further, Tomoyo interrupted him. "Eriol-kun? Is something wrong?"

Leave it to Tomoyo to see what no one else does. She always had that special quality about her, to see how people really felt. Eriol released Sakura, who quickly snapped back to her normal self and gave the two a questioning look. When Eriol shook his head, Tomoyo nudged him into talking. He sighed loudly. "It's just a presence I have noticed as of late. Probably another mage."

"There are more??" Sakura asked, a bit too loud for such a public location. Syaoran cuffed his hand over her mouth quickly, whispering to the group that had closed in around her. "Of course there are more, idiot, you think there are only three kid mages in Japan?"

Sakura flushed and pouted, pushing his hand off of her mouth and whining. "Shut up, how was I supposed to know??"

Eriol shushed them both with a finger to their lips and glanced at each of them individually. Normally, this would be an all-the-time thing, but the presence would come and go, as if fading and reappearing, or possibly more than one. "Have either of you felt anything?"

Sakura shook her head and Syaoran leaned back in his seat, putting his hand to his chin. "I've felt a few presences, but I assumed it was Sakura using her cards." Sakura shot him a glare and Eriol a worried look.

"I haven't used the cards for much in a while. Kero-chan?" She glanced at her backpack. It rustled and jumped before Kero popped out and leaned over the books. Sakura picked him up to hide his animation from the rest of the class; A blown secret would not be a good way to head into the new year. She held him in the middle, where he crossed his arms in a matter-of-factual manner.

"I've sensed something as well, but I can't see what it is. The Sakura cards let off a different signature. It could be another mage, I suppose."

Eriol put his fist to his chin, rubbing his lip with the knuckle of his index finger. "I fear it is something much more serious..."

Before anyone could question him on this mysterious comment, the teacher came in and asked everyone to take their seats. They would have to discuss it later.

"There is.... something that I need to tell you all."

The group stood out behind the school, secluded from the other students. They sat around in the shade of a tree, Eriol with his arms crossed in thought, the others eating their lunch. The break was short, but Eriol chose to leave his food majorly untouched. His mind was elsewhere. Syaoran eyed him suspiciously, munching slowly on a rice cracker offered to him by Sakura. The girls exchanged worried glances, and even Kero was drawn from his food by the serious expression across the Mage's face.

Finally, Eriol found his words. "Not all of my memories have returned from my life as Clow." Though that had little impact to the children, Kero's face contorted into understanding shock. Eriol explained himself. "And that means that there is something I am still supposed to find."

This had more impact on the card captors than the previous statement. Syaoran stopped munching and looked up at Eriol, his eyes wide. He wanted to protest, to shout and yell and huff at Eriol's lies and the things he had already hidden from them. All he could do was wait- the words wouldn't come.

"Is it true?"

Everyone turned to Sakura, who had set her drink down and looked straight at Eriol with those strong, worried eyes. "Is there really more to do? It's not over yet?"

Eriol held her gaze, much to his displeasure. Those eyes, crucifying him and shaking his resolve like they always had. He knew what must be done, no matter how much he didn't want to do it. Still, to put her in harms way after those beautiful eyes had scrutinized him so... He could almost feel the real Clow frowning upon him and pushing him forward.

Slowly he nodded, with a quiet, final resolve. "Yes. There is more. Though at this point, I am not sure what it is yet."

Tomoyo smiled quietly, but pulled back a serious face. "So what do we do?"

Eriol chuckled- he knew that look. You could almost see the camcorder in her hand. "Well," he began, clearing his throat to regain his stern appearance. "I am almost positive that this presence is linked directly to my untouched memories. It simply cannot be a coincidence."

"So if we find it, we find your memories?"

"Or some way to them," Eriol corrected his nephew. "But we can't be sure. It may just lead to more questions. We'll meet up tonight in front of the school."

They all nodded decisively, ready to go through whatever they had to to help Eriol find the rest of Clow's memories. Eriol's eyes scrolled once more to Sakura. "Bring your cards."

Tomoyo was on her feet, a new-found exuberance in her lit eyes. "I'll prepare the costumes!!" Her cell was out and to her ear as she ran back toward the school. Sakura could only laugh uneasily at her best friend's back as she rounded the corner.

With only the three of them and Keroberos left, Syaoran gave a stern nod. "I will pick up Daidoji on the way to school. The rest of us can protect ourselves against a hostile, but she's defenseless."

A wide smile plastered across Sakura's face. With such a kind, level-headed teammate as Syaoran, she felt no worry any longer for Tomoyo being at the scene.

Syaoran, however, could not bear such a face. His ears burned red and he stood quickly, stumbling. "C-class is starting," he mumbled, turning and running after Tomoyo.

"Hoe?"

A sigh and a chuckle. "Don't mind him, Sakura-san." The remaining two stood and started for the door.

The air was tense and nervous. She had to know. "Do you think this will be alright?"

Eriol glanced at her and immediately looked away. The thought- he couldn't. He swallowed hard, but held his composure. "I don't know."

* * *

Woo! First Chapter over!!

*Sigh* my very first story on fanfiction.... what a scary thought, lol

and this one isn't even my fave. How odd.

Oh well. It's good to have a test. 3 Send me a message, critique, anything to tell me what you thought of it and how it hit you. Thanks! Hope to see you in the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

I completely forgot my disclaimer at the beginning of the last chapter. I DO NOT OWN CARDCAPTOR SAKURA. THE SERIES AND IT'S CHARACTERS BELONG TO CLAMP. There.

On with the show~ ^^ Enjoy.

"Tomoyo-chan... Did you really do this after school?"

"Of course!" Tomoyo swooned, taking her camcorder and drifting around Sakura admiringly. Her subject blushed and fidgeted in embarrassment, waiting for the display to be over with.

Finally Tomoyo pulled back for a full body shot, sighing in triumph. The piece was beautiful- the first one she had worked on in three months. Not to mention the fantastically adorable girl in it. The photographer squealed in delight and swiveled to her other two leads.

Eriol gave a polite smile to the camera. "Thank you for touching up my robes. They shine in your handiwork."

"Oh, Eriol-kun! I'm so glad you can appreciate the quality work necessary for an event such as this!" Her camera focused in on Syaoran rolling his eyes as she continued. "The return of our heroes, back in action to maintain the peace they had finally achieved! It is an event that absolutely DEMANDS these fine linens!"

"Absolutely," Eriol repeated, turning to Syaoran with a playful smirk. He gave him a light smack on the arm, knocking him unsteady. "Show off your fine linens, nephew."

"Is this really what we came here for?" Syaoran hissed, hunching his shoulders uncomfortably. The new Card keeper nodded to him seriously.

"Syaoran's right. We need to find the source of magic and try to recover Clow's memories."

The group became silent, focusing on finding a trace of the magic they had picked up so faintly. Eriol opened his eyes first, hiding a small twitch in his features. An arm raised calmly, pointing down the sidewalk. "King Penguin Park."

"Let's go!"

The park came into view quickly at their hurried pace. Eriol pulled to a stop and held out an arm. Sakura ran into him with a yelp, but quickly covered her mouth. His eyes were tense- not his usual, cautiously calm face. She looked around slowly, examining their surroundings.

"Can you feel that?"

"Hoe?" Sakura looked up at Eriol when he spoke quietly. Behind her, Syaoran stepped forward, his sword in hand.

"I feel it- the malice..." His eyes shifted quickly from one end of the park to the next. Tomoyo stayed a few feet back from the park, her camcorder catching all of the emotion. Bravely beside her was Kero, in his full form and ready to jump into action.

"Sakura!"

The voice drew everyone's eyes upward. Sakura yelped again, this time in surprise. "Yue-san!"

It all became a blur; Syaoran was knocked back, Eriol dropped to the ground, Tomoyo shrieked. In the chaos, a figure darted from the top of the King Penguin into the trees. Sakura found herself enshrouded in white wings and two skinny arms. The guardian's eyes darted quickly to Tomoyo- Kero was crouched beside her, on wing over her protectively.

"What is that??" Sakura squealed, confused and in shock from the sudden battle.

Yue held her tight in one arm, freeing the other one to defend her. The trees rustled dangerously, and he prepared himself for it- whatever it was. It held strong magic, with such unfocused anger. Perhaps after his new master?

Not a welcome thought. His grip on the girl tightened, ignoring her struggle for freedom. Whatever this thing was, it had disturbed him from miles away-- through Yukito's consciousness, no less. Until he knew what it was, he would not let her near it, no matter how much she wanted to fight.

Eriol slid to his feet quickly, drawing his staff forward. Syaoran was suddenly behind him, knelt carefully as a second line of defense. The trees rustled again, a storm threatening to break forth behind them. Incantations rumbled from deep inside Eriol's throat, low and blowing with the wind.

The blur darted out of the trees and struck at Eriol, only to be parried by Syaoran's blade. The figure knocked back and faltered, giving everyone just enough time to see it's full form.

"W-what?" Syaoran faltered back as well-- it looked like a Clow Card. The small, girlish figure wielded a spear, which swirled at the back end and curved around her tiny frame. Her eyes were opaque and empty, staring straight into Eriol with an unspoken conviction.

The puppet arms drew back slowly and darted forward again. Her speed was quicker than Sakura could follow. She lurched forward in Yue's grip and screamed in vain. "Eriol-kun!!"

Eriol pushed Syaoran awake and slid in the opposite direction, narrowly avoiding a vertical swing. His foot dragged and slowed him down, but he hopped quickly back out of range from the next swing. Still, the attacker pushed forward. Before Syaoran could jump back in, Eriol had fallen back near edge of the park, getting closer and closer to the tip of the blade each time she swung.

Yue struggled in agony with himself. To go to his old master's aid or to stay and protect his new master? He started forward and fell back, cursing hatefully under his breath. What could he do in this position? If he went to aid Eriol, he would endanger Sakura, but if he stayed...

The sidewalk caught Eriol off guard and he tripped backward onto the pavement. Syaoran bolted toward the fight, only to be knocked back in one swing. He doubled over a few feet away, swearing into the dirt as he held his throbbing chest.

Sakura screamed and tugged at Yue's arms, but was pulled back into the shelter of his wings. Now Yue took the only action he could think to take.

"Keroberos!!"

Kero needed nothing more. Without a second thought, he leaped into the fray and ripped into the attacker. She was hurled away from Eriol like a rag doll and rolled into the sand lamely. The sun guardian knelt over Eriol, growling and snarling at the fight he knew wasn't over.

Now the group had a moment to recover. Yue glided quickly to Tomoyo, who had run to Syaoran's side in the chaos. Sakura dropped from his arms and assisted Tomoyo in the boy's care; Wings hovered over them protectively. At least now one of the guardians was free to help Eriol.

The moment of preparation was short lived, and the attacker stood with that same blank expression. She moved with the same speed and grace as before- it was as though Kero hadn't even touched her.

Again she darted forward, ready to tear Kero and Eriol to pieces with her strike, but never got close enough. A flash of blue appeared out of the trees and swept into her, knocking her back to the ground.

The group shuddered at the ear-shattering shriek their attacker let loose. When Yue looked back to her, he realized that her spear was gone and now in the arms of a young girl in a blue cloak. He took a moment to examine her-- not as young as Sakura, but not as old as Yukito. She cradled the spear like it was a child, shushing it and stroking it carefully as though it would break.

Kero' gasp drew Yue's attention back to the attacker. Or at least, what was left of her. Her body faded into the wind, like mist dissipating in the morning sunlight.

Now all attention was turned to the newcomer. She turned and looked up at Yue- her eyes were as opaque as the attackers, but the feeling behind them was real. She started to stand, but quickly fell back to her knees, as though too weak to hold herself up.

Yue held his ground, but noticed too late that Tomoyo had rushed to her aid.

"D-daidoji-san!" He called after her in a hiss, but she disregarded his warning.

Kero tried too, stepping forward and calling urgently. "Tomoyo! Stop!"

"Why?" Tomoyo snapped, turning on Kero. He shrunk back under the harshness in her voice. "She saved us! You saw her eyes!"

This struck a chord with Yue. Her eyes... the feeling behind them was so soft when she looked at him. Now Tomoyo had supported the girl's shoulders and brought her to her feet carefully. When she faltered, Kero moved slowly and obediently to her side- there was no point in fighting the little Daidoji once her decision had been made. He took the tired girl, still gripping the odd spear, from her and lifted the teen onto his back with a grunt.

"....So what now?"

Eriol had stepped forward, resealing his staff on the chain around his neck; he could sense no more immediate danger. Yue went to Syaoran and lifted him gently into his arms.

Yue looked to the girl with a small sigh. "...There is no chance that Daidoji-san or Sakura would just let us leave her."

Eriol huffed a small chuckle, but cleared his throat. "No. We have to take her with us. Something about her..." He stopped and examined her when Kero crept up beside him. "Something about her feels all too familiar."

* * *

Alright!! End of chapter two!!

So, just before I initially ended this chapter, proofread and went back and editted random parts, my computer overheated and died.

And didn't save all of my progress. So this is kind of a disappointment to me, especially compared to the original, but I'm just too impatient to try and retype it all perfectly.

I'll probably take some time to sit and sketch out the Spear girl soon and post it on my deviant art. There'll prolly be a link in my profile when/if I do, so yea. Look for that.

On to chapter three~ Wish me luck! R&R is always love! ^^


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:: Ahhh~ *swoon* x3

I am just so THRILLED to have made it to chapter three! Thank you so much for reading up to this point! Your support is absolute love!

Not that anyone reads the authors note.... Ah well. Enjoy! ^^

* * *

Syaoran was the first to offer up his home- it was the closest to the park and there were no parents to hide from. Yue led the group, wary of another attack. If that... monster had been so powerful, who was to say there weren't more of them? He refused to take his chances when dealing with such high level magic.

When they reached the house, Yue abruptly stopped and sighed. Immediately his face pinked- Of all the times for his disguise to inconvenience him... He could almost feel Yukito kicking in his subconscious.

"I...I have something I have to attend to. I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Hoe?" Sakura cocked her head at him in confusion. He looked away, as if embarrassed, but patted her head in reassurance.

Keroberos couldn't hide his chuckle. Enraged and embarrassed, Yue turned on him with harsh eyes. "If there is so much as a scratch on any of them when I return-"

"Hey, hey, I'm their guardian too." Kero snickered in mock offense and tucked in his wings, shouldering his way into the building. As he disappeared into the doorway, he called back teasingly, "Have fun~"

Yue soared off without another word, attempting to keep from hurting the fool. Eriol held back a chuckle as he soared off. That, at least, was a look he recognized. Having a disguise with a love life was surely too complicated. The thought made him rumble in a fit of giggles.

Inside, Syaoran hefted the girl from Kero's back and laid her gently onto his mattress. As he pulled back, he found her eyes staring straight into his-- those big, empty, opaque eyes, a swirling sea foam green.

Before he realized, her hand had deliberately guided up and cupped his face. His eyes widened at the change in her eyes when her palm met his cheek-- why was she looking at him so sadly?

Words hung on her lips, but never became more than mouthed shapes. She tried again, finding not even a rasp in her throat. Finally Syaoran pulled back, letting her hand drop to the mattress. It bee-lined immediately for the spear, which she still held tightly against her small body.

When Syaoran stepped back, Kero advanced cautiously. "Can you understand us?"

The girl continued to stare with her blank, mystified expression. Kero sighed and looked back to Sakura. She started to shrug but gasped and pointed back at the girl. "Wait, look!"

The girl had raised an arm and was making stroke marks in the air. She swept her finger across the air, scrawling carefully before them. When she paused, the group took a moment to look back and forth between each other. Now she looked directly at Syaoran, her face distorted in frustration, and started again, making the same strokes a second time. Syaoran watched closer and finally began to get it.

"...It's Chinese! She's making Chinese characters!" He chimed in surprise and success. The girl smiled-- the first she'd ever given them- and sat upright, one arm still clutching the spear and her free hand signing on invisible parchment.

Syaoran followed each stroke carefully, watched by a mesmerized Sakura and Tomoyo. The girl started on the characters for the fourth time now.

"Fa..." Syaoran spoke slowly, waiting for the second character. "...Bao.... Fabao. That's-" He blinked, as if surprised at the coherency. "Magic Weapon!"

The girl nodded vigorously at him and pointed to the spear and Sakura. Sakura flinched and clutched her necklace unconsciously. Before her confusion, the girl continued to nod.

"Me... What about me? The wand?"

Eriol watched the exchange from the sidelines in silence. Her eyes... why did he know those eyes? It was such a nostalgic sort of deja vu, but not even Clow could recall any memories of her. Who was this stranger that he knew so well?

When he stepped toward her, her eyes guided straight to him. He faltered- she looked up at him with such familiar eyes. Exactly like Yue had the day he told him he was to die. Why did she look like that?

Before he knew it, she held his hand to her cheek. His free arm reached up unconsciously and stroked a stray strand of her long black hair. The group around them watched the exchange in shocked-silent awe.

"... Release your wand." Eriol mumbled. He looked at Sakura and repeated himself more clearly. "Release your wand."

The second time reached Sakura loud and clear. When the strange Chinese girl smiled up at Eriol so softly, Sakura reached into her collar, fished out the key and released it.

Now the five of them stood there, looking back and forth between each other until Tomoyo noticed a renewed expression of glee on the girl's face. She looked back at Syaoran and began to trace new characters. This time he was ready for them.

"Bian hua. Change." The Li blinked in confusion. "Change what?" He asked her calmly.

Tersely the spear was stretched forth, laid straight and flat across the girl's hands. The group watched her in confusion as she frantically pointed back and forth between the wand and the spear.

"Change how?"

The girl continued her frantic pointing until Eriol took her hand once more- she immediately chilled under his touch and looked up at him.

"What do you mean by change?" His voice was calm and rich-- nothing like that of a 12 year old boy's. "Like a Clow Card?"

Instead of nodding, she smiled and took his hand, pressing it to her lips and then her cheek. Kero flushed at the strangely intimate action and coughed, trying to get the group back on track. "But it isn't a Clow cards! Sakura collected and changed them all!"

"Maybe, but there is something that is still being hidden from us. And she is our only lead." Eriol couldn't bring his eyes from her. Despite Kero's sigh, Sakura gripped the Star wand firmly.

"Alright!"

"What??" Kero rounded on her in disbelief. "Sakura! We don't even know what to seal them as!!"

"But we've got to try!" The new mistress argued. She huffed at Kero and looked back to Eriol for guidance.

After a moment of thought, Eriol looked back to the girl. It was worth a shot, right? Who else would they ask? "In what name do we seal the spear?"

Now she caught them all off guard. The hand holding his slipped from her cheek. It glided up slowly until her index finger gently pressed to his forehead. Even slower than before, she traced lines across his forehead, the same she had been in the air.

Syaoran followed. "Du...Read. Read?"

She looked at him blankly and then started to scrawl quickly in the air, writing some long, intricate phrase. In the sudden burst of writing, Syaoran groaned and squawked. "Auuugh Paper!! We need paper!!"

The room was turned over in frantic chaos before Tomoyo had found a small notebook and pencil for the girl. Without the same caution as the others, she marched right up to the girl with a smile and offered the book.

"Write on this, okay?"

She looked up at Tomoyo faintly, but quickly smiled and nodded brightly. Without another moment she went to work, writing quickly down the paper and turning it for Syaoran to see.

The lines were shaky and unstable- like the writing of a toddler, but Syaoran managed to make out the incantation and translate it to Sakura.

The group looked among each other silently, intensely. Finally, Sakura grounded her feet and brought her wand forward. The moment of truth was before them.

The words flowed out strongly, despite the nervous air of her companions.

"Card created by the Eclipse of two powers, return to your true form!"

The wand was brought down heavily. A swirl of magic burst forth from the spear, shaking the room in unreal defiance. Sakura held her ground against the mass of energy until finally it condensed into a small slip of light and dimmed into its material form.

The card slipped around the room until it finally came back and hovered before Eriol. Cautiously, he plucked it from the air, and the light around it dissipated.

It was almost exactly like the original Clow cards. There were only two or three differences that Eriol noticed upon first glance. The biggest difference was the back of the card-- where the sun had been before with the moon orbiting to its left, the moon had crossed in front of the sun and left only a black orb with a silver-red line. Eriol flipped the card over again and examined the picture on the front. The girl that had attacked them kept her head bowed and her eyes closed, cradling her spear as the strange girl beside him had.

"What..." Sakura began slowly, regaining her balance from the magical seal. "...was that?"

Eriol swallowed hard. "That... was not a good sign."

* * *

And here we are again, folks. The end of a new chapter.

*Sigh* it's progressing so slowly for me... Dunno how well the story's going...

R&R anyone? I would love it~ Thanks~ 3

See you in chapter 4!


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